Sunday, September 13, 2009

Tavern Tables: Drinks at the Bar

Working your way to the front of the throng that surrounds the bar, you tap a gold coin soundly on the battered counter. The distinct ring of gold pilfered from a monster’s dungeon lair catches Yven’s one remaining ear. The grizzled former solider moves down the bar, turning his attentions to you. Pointing to the wooden placard hanging next to the moth-eaten owlbear’s head mounted above the bar, Yven asks what you’re drinking.

Tavern Beverage Table

1)Sour beer – a cloudy beer that results from the presence of impurities during the fermentation process. Normally, such a beverage would be discarded, but some rough-and-tumble establishments serve it nonetheless (5 cp per tankard).2)Goblin grog – the drink of the desperate or destitute, some taverns pour the dregs of any remaining drinks into a large cask at the end of the night. This unwholesome mixture is called “goblin grog” and sold for a pittance (2 cp per tankard).3)Bubbling concoction – the ingredients of this drink vary from establishment to establishment, but the results of their mixture are always visually stimulating. Bubbling concoctions can foam, burble, emit vapor, change color, produce flame or sparks, generate tiny thunderclouds, glow, or even cause temporary physical alterations to their drinker. The special ingredients that make these effects occur are purchased from a local alchemist (5 gp per cup).4)Kumis – fermented mare’s milk (4 cp per cup).5)Ale – local, human-made variety (2 sp per tankard).6)Old Red Eye – A vile, rotgut liquor. Rumor has it that Old Red Eye is made by orcs who dwell in an evil land far to the south (5 cp per shot).7)Goat’s milk – like cow’s milk, but from a goat. Non-alcoholic (2 cp per cup).8)Bark Tea – tree bark and various herbs steeped in hot water (1 sp per cup).9)Viskha – amber-colored, fiery-tasting corn liquor (10 sp per glass).10)Wine – common human-made wine of local vintage (5 sp per glass).11)Elven ice wine – a light-tasting, blue-white wine (15 sp per glass).12) Kahvak – a dark, bitter-tasting beverage made from roasted kahvak beans. Non-alcoholic (2 sp per cup).13) Dragon’s blood – rare liqueur usually reserved for the tables of nobility, but bottles occasionally turn up in establishments of lesser status. This dark red liqueur has a spicy tang resembling cinnamon and an extremely sweet aftertaste. Its distillation process and ingredients are a closely guarded secret (1 pp per glass).14) Ale, dark – local, human-made stout (5 sp per tankard).15) Snow barbarian whudka – a clear but potent liquor distilled on the northern tundra, whudka makes its way south to civilized lands where it is traded for gold ornaments and steel weaponry. Its distillation process and even ingredients are unknown to outsiders (15 sp per shot).16) Dwarven brandy – this potable is a clear liquor distilled from the apples and cherries that grow along the slopes of RInghammer Hall. Possessing a light fruit flavor, dwarven brandy is kept in cool caves and cellars, and is served chilled (15 sp per cup).17) Hard cider – fermented apple cider (3 sp per cup).18) Mead – honey wine (10 sp per cup or horn).19) Varkarös rum – a dark liquor distilled from molasses and sugarcane grown in the southern islands, primarily around Varkarös, the City of Foul Mists. Popular with sailors and wannabe mariners (8 sp per cup).20) Kvass– a mild alcoholic beverage made from rye bread and flavored with mint (2 cp a tankard).

Who's to Blame

Despite having never been a professional adventurer, Michael Curtis has nonetheless deciphered cryptic writings, handled ancient maps and texts, ridden both a camel and an elephant, fallen off a mountain, participated in a mystical rite, and discovered the resting places of lost treasures. He can be contacted at poleandrope @ gmaildotcom